Who doesn't love summer and the wealth of free family-friendly events in the area? This summer, you can celebrate National Dance Day with instructors at Milwaukie's Risley Park, cheer with hundreds of others at World Cup games broadcast in downtown Portland, stomp around in the cool water of the Beaverton City Park Fountain and sing along at the top of your lungs to Disney's blockbuster movie "Frozen" at a Portland park. All. For. FREE.

Really, the only trick to taking advantage of all the free concerts, movies, swim events and crafts being offered is knowing how to find out about them.

Here is a collection of links to help you keep track of upcoming events throughout the area this summer, and we've added a few ideas at the end in case you get stuck in the activity doldrums.

Weekly/monthly roundups:

These sites offer information on a wide array of events -- some free and some pay-for-admission.

OregonLive: A compilation of activities throughout the greater Portland area.

Red Tricycle: An excellent calendar of upcoming events that you can easily scan.

PDX Pipeline: A curated calendar that also offers free tickets through giveaways.

Urbanmamas: This Portland parents' blog highlights upcoming weekend events each week and provides a link to a larger listing of events.

Although not specifically kid-oriented, Events 12 offers a comprehensive listing of festivals and other special events, both free and pay, scheduled for each month in an easy-to-view format.

Agency-specific event calendars

Know that you want to hit some concerts in your neighborhood park? Interested in Star Parties with OMSI this year? Here are organization-specific calendars that are worth checking out on a regular basis. We've plucked out a few of the free events scheduled for each that you might want to put on your calendar now.

The Oregon State Parks calendar offers an exhaustive list of activities held at parks throughout the state. Some highlights: June 7 is Oregon State Parks day, when there’s no fee to park and no fee for a tent or RV campsite. (Bear in mind that they are first-come, first-served and if you want to be sure of a site, you might want to pay the $8 reservation fee.) You can also learn about camping, birding, fishing, cycling and other activities from Oregon State Park guides -- check out the park's Let’s Go page for more information on these -- mostly -- free guided activities. (Some of the classes require registration fees.)

Oregon State Parks day, mentioned above, coincides with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Free Fishing weekend on June 7-8, when you don’t need to buy a license to fish, crab or clam. It also coincides with National Trails Day, during which a number of hiking, trail running or other events are planned.

Also, June 17-20 is the free Learn to Swim week, with four days of free classes for a limited number of participants. You must sign up in person on Saturday, June 14, between 8 and 11:30 a.m. at your neighborhood pool.

North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District: Serving more than 116,000 residents in Happy Valley, Milwaukie and a large swath of unincorporated Clackamas County. You can find a lot of activities for kids and teens in the district's "Discovery Guide." There's the "RecMobile," which offers crafts and other activities for kids ages 6-10 at various parks throughout the summer (page 6 of Discovery Guide); a "lock-in" party for teens at two libraries (page 16 of Discovery Guide); and a listing of free movies in the park (page 6).

Gresham Parks: A new Children's Fountain is slated to open this summer at Gresham's Arts Plaza and the city is planning children's concerts for Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. with Red Yarn kicking off the series on July 12.

Pioneer Courthouse Square: The brick plaza downtown hosts a number of free concerts and events this summer (and year-round). Check its calendar for information on upcoming events, including the Electric Vehicle festival, free movies and Oregon Ballet Theatre's "Exposed" from Aug. 25-29, which offers the public an opportunity to learn more about ballet.

Friends of Tryon Creek: This nonprofit offers several free family-friendly activities, including Story and Stroll programs and guided nature walks.

OMSI Star Parties: One note. The parties are free, but parking at Rooster Rock State Park or L.L. Stub Stewart Park is $5. Still, it's a great chance to be out with a bunch of people to share the wonder of looking up. The dates on the calendar include the July 12 Lunar Viewing and the Aug. 12 Perseid Meteor Shower Watch.

You don't need a special reason or event to enjoy the public services already in your community -- play structures, water fountains and splash pads or spray parks to help your kids stay active and stay cool. Don't forget your local library either. It's more than just storytimes. There are crafts, opportunities to read to therapy dogs, chess games and other activities. Plus, libraries are air-conditioned.

And finally, a few more ideas to help refresh your thinking. We are creatures of habit, especially when we depend on routines to help keep our sanity. Still, consider these antidotes when your kids are complaining that you're always doing the Same Old Thing.

1. Volunteer. This might seem like a weird suggestion. But volunteering can be fun, and many of the events on the Hands On Greater Portland calendar appeal to youths with a wide range of interests and ages. For instance, some of the volunteer needs coming up include maintaining trails at Tualatin Hills Nature Park; mulching trees — and learning about native plants — by volunteering with Friends of Trees; helping prepare used books to donate to children with the Children’s Book Bank; or cleaning cat cages for the Cat Adoption Team.

2. Bored with the options in your neighborhood? Pick someone else's. Pick a park in another part of town for a playground outing or listen to the storytimes in a different library. You may find some interesting side trips, weird landmarks or fun shops just by driving/biking/bus riding along a different route.

3. When in doubt, get your family together and take a walk. Easier said than done, I know. But we all can do with more activity. And there is just something about that endorphin rush, the social element of seeing neighbors outside and the lack of competitiveness of an amble down the street that creates a perfect summer moment.

And finally, a few things to stash in your car to help you take advantage of summer opportunities as they come your way.

Juice boxes and some highly-processed -- yet incredibly shelf-stable -- snacks, such as individually packaged bags of animal crackers, Nutter Butters, etc. Sure, this is not healthy fare. But it will help limit your kids' temptations/whining for the similar but overpriced snacks vendors sell when you're out and about.

Hand sanitizer -- it's probably already in your glove box.

Sunscreen -- Don't forget to reapply!

A towel. You're not likely to pack an extra swimsuit in your car, but if you've got a towel on hand, the decision to stop and let your kids run through a fountain in their clothes won't seem so unimaginable.

That's our list. And that doesn't even include all the July 4 activities, parades and fireworks that will be going on in the area. Your turn -- what did we miss?